As You Wish
by Magpie09
Summary: "A tale of true love and high adventure, pirates, princesses, miracles, fencing, and destiny." When poor farm boy, Merlin and the beautiful peasant girl, Arianna fall in love, Merlin seeks out his fortune. However, when his ship is attacked by pirates, Arianna is forced to marry Prince Mordred. Can true love and destiny really conquer all?
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Welcome to yet another based off an already existing property with a gender bend twist! What can I say? I'm an odd little duck... Anywho, this time, this fic is based off of the movie; ****The Princess Bride**** and this time with a fem!Arthur. Another thing is that all the chapter titles will be quotes from the movie. As always I don't own anything and please read and review! Enjoy!**

**Ch. 1 - "Farm Boy"**

Once upon a time in the land of Camelot; there lived a young peasant girl named Arianna. Arianna was rumored to be the most beautiful girl in all of the land, but even the rumors couldn't do her beauty any justice. She had long, golden hair and the most beautiful blue eyes. However, life was rather monotonous as a peasant and Arianna took great joy in riding her beloved horse and making the farm boy, Merlin's life miserable. "Farm boy!," she would cry out, never using Merlin's actual name, "make sure you polish my saddle good. I want to be able to see my face shining in it by morning!" "As you wish," Merlin would quietly say before returning to his chores. "As you wish," was all he ever said, but what he was really saying was "I love you." Arianna couldn't help the surprised confusion that coursed through her the day she found out. "Farm boy!," she cried out, "Make sure to bathe my horse before you retire today." Merlin simply look at her and she quietly added , "Please?" "As you wish," he replied, his eyes soft with affection. And that was when Arianna knew that Merlin loved her.

However, what came to even more of a surprise to Arianna was the day she realized that she loved him back. Merlin had come into the small cottage and dropped off some freshly chopped firewood, Arianna silently watching him the whole time. He was about to go outside again when Arianna shouted, "Farm boy!," not really knowing exactly what she wanted from him, only knowing that she had grown to love him. "Fetch me that pot, will you?," she asked as she gestured to a pot that was hanging from its rack behind her. Merlin looked at the pot, which was easily within Arianna's reach, smiled knowingly, and reached toward the pot slowly as he grew closer to Arianna. As he gently gave the pot to Arianna, he quietly said, "As you wish," as she smiled affectionately at him.

However, because Merlin was poor, he couldn't provide for Arianna, and so he set out to make his fortune. "I will miss you terribly, my love," Arianna whispered into Merlin's ear as they embraced. "And I, you," Merlin whispered back as he kissed her gently. "What if something happens to you? What if I never get to see you again?," Arianna whispered fearfully. "Oh, my love," Merlin replied with an affectionate smile, "Ours is true love, and not even Death can stop it! At worse, it can only delay it for a little while," Arianna smiled at his answer and kissed him goodbye once again. However, not over a week had passed when Merlin left that Arianna had received the news that Merlin's ship was attacked by the pirate ship _The Great Dragon_ that was captained by the vicious pirate Emrys who never left his captives alive. Arianna felt like a part of her had died with Merlin and so she shut herself away and barely ever ate nor slept. All she could ever think was how she would never love again.

-Three Years Later-

Horns blared throughout the courtyard of the castle as Prince Mordred stepped out to greet his people. "My people!," he cried out, "I have finally have chosen a bride! Although she was once a commoner like yourselves, you will not find her common now! I present to you, Princess Arianna!" The newly crowned princess strolled through the crow in a kind of sad haze, not really caring what she was doing. Although she had eventually agreed to marry the prince, she knew she would never love him. All of her love and happiness had died the day that Merlin died and Arianna was just simply existing; for almost nothing could bring her joy. Her sole comfort was riding her beloved horse, as it reminded her of living on the farm with her true love.


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm so sorry that it's been so long since I've last updated, but now I'm back at school and I just haven't had the motivation to write. Forgive me, please! Anyway, as always, I don't own anything and please read and review!**

**Ch. 2 - "Inconceivable"**

One day while Arianna was riding her beloved horse, she suddenly came across an odd little group. Three strange men stood silently in the road; one had a hood over his head trying to conceal the burn marks that disfigured his face, one had a shaggy, roguish beard and a sword at his side, and one was very tall and muscular and was wearing a sleeveless shirt. "Excuse me, my lady," the one with the burn marks said, "We are poor, lost circus performers. Can you tell us if there is a village nearby?" "There is nothing nearby, not for miles," Arianna answered honestly. "Then, there will be no one to hear you scream," he answered back with a sick smile as the tall, muscular one grabbed Arianna's throat and squeezed until she passed out.

"Hurry up and get her in the boat," the burned one said as he ripped a patch of fabric and tied it to Arianna's horse, before sending the horse running with a good smack. "Why did you do that, Edwin?," the roguish one asked, referring to the ripped cloth. "Because," Edwin answered back, "That fabric was from Saxony and if the people of Camelot see it, then they will think that Saxony has captured the princess, and when they find her dead body on the Saxon frontier then they will go to war." "I don't think it's right, killing an innocent girl," the tall one said as he gently placed Arianna into there boat.

"Am I going mad?!," Edwin exclaimed, "Or did I just hear the word 'think' come out of you?! You were not hired for your brains, Percival!"

"I agree with Percival," the roguish one said as he pushed the boat out into the water.

"Oh! The lush has spoken!," Edwin replied with sarcasm, "Don't worry about it, Gwaine, I will kill her. But remember this; when I found you, you were so slobbering drunk that you couldn't even buy brandy! And you," he pointed to Percival, "Friendless, brainless, helpless, hopeless! Do you want me to send you back to where you were? Unemployed in Greenland?!"

"Don't say that, Edwin. Please?," Percival quietly pleaded as Edwin walked away.

Gwaine quietly walked up to Percival and said teasingly, "Edwin, he sure can fuss."

"Fuss, fuss," Percival said out loud, as he tried to make up a rhyme. Percival loved playing this little rhyme game with Gwaine. "I think that he may want to scream at us."

"He probably means no harm," Gwaine said with a smile.

"He's really, really short on charm!"

"You have a great gift for rhyme."

"Yes, yes. Some of the time."

"Enough of that!," Edwin screamed out as Percival started steering the ship.

"Percival, are there rocks ahead?," Gwaine asked.

"If there are, we'll all be dead!," Percival replied back with a grin.

"No more rhymes, I mean it!," Edwin yelled out.

"Anybody want a peanut?," Percival asked.

Edwin just yelled out in frustration as their boat drifted away toward Saxony.

As the sun started going down across the water, Arianna had woken up and was silently fuming for getting into this situation. "Why do you keep doing that?," Edwin asked Gwaine as Gwaine once again looked out behind them. "Just making sure no one is following us."

"That would be inconceivable."

"Despite what you may think," Arianna said spitefully, "The prince will find you and you all will be hanged."

"Of all the necks on this boat, Your Highness, is the one you should be worried about is your own," Edwin replied with a dangerous smirk. "Stop doing that!," he yelled out at Gwaine as Gwaine looked out behind them once again.

"Are you sure no one is following us?," Gwaine asked.

"As I told you before, it would be totally and absolutely inconceivable," Edwin replied knowingly, "No one in Saxony knows what we've done and no one in Camelot could have gotten there in time. Out of curiosity, why do you ask?"

"Well, there's a boat behind us."

"What?!," Edwin exclaimed as he ran toward the stern of the ship to look out, "Probably some fishing cruise out for some late night fishing through Sidhe infested waters."

Suddenly there was a splash, for the princess had jumped overboard to try and escape her kidnappers. "Go after her!," he yelled out at Gwaine. "I can't swim," Gwaine answered honestly. As Edwin looked over at Percival, the tall man replied, "I only dog paddle." Edwin cried out in frustration as he tried to steer the boat closer to the princess. As Arianna was swimming, she suddenly felt something under her leg and a screech made her stop swimming completely as she tried to see what was in the water with her. The screeching was getting louder and closer, and Edwin called out mockingly, "Do you hear that sound, Your Highness? Those are the Sidhe! They are the little faeries that live in the water that are always yearning for a human soul to devour. The noise will get louder as the Sidhe become more and more frenzied!" Arianna was shaking and couldn't move an inch, she was so terrified, the screeching was indeed getting louder and she thought she saw a blue speck of light rush by her under the water, but before she could even scream out a large hand hoisted her out of the water. Percival gently lifted the princess out of the dangerous waters and placed a blanket around her shoulders. "I suppose you think you're brave," Edwin asked mockingly. "Only compared to some," Arianna answered back.

As the day turned into night and night turned into day again, the ship behind them was gaining up on them, however, Edwin wasn't concerned about the mystery boatman anymore, for they had reached The Labyrinth of Gedref.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Hi, hi! Back again with another chapter! Yay! Anyway, as always I don't own anything and please read and review!**

**Ch. 3 - "Never Get Involved In A Land War In Asia"**

Edwin looked upon the vast maze that was the Labyrinth of Gedref with a knowing smirk as their little crew prepared to go ashore. No one but Edwin knew the way through the maze, and it had taken Edwin many years to learn it, and therefore Edwin knew that they could easily lose the mysterious boatman who was still following them. They hurriedly anchored their boat and climbed ashore as Percival gently lifted Arianna and carried her easily across his shoulder.

They were about a third of the way through the maze when they reacted a lookout point, and Edwin screamed out, "Inconceivable!" in frustration as he saw a masked man in black begin making his way through the maze. "You know you keep saying that word," Gwaine remarked as he looked upon the masked man, "I don't think it means what you think it means." Edwin just grunted in frustration as he turned to Gwaine and commanded, "Stay behind and kill him! I can't have anybody knowing our plans! Once you're done, meet us on the Saxon frontier."

"I think I'm going to do it with the left," Gwaine remarked smugly.

"You know what a hurry we're in!," Edwin screamed in frustration.

"Well, if I do it with my right, it would be over too quickly."

"Fine, have it you're way," Edwin murmured as he continued into the maze with Percival following quietly behind him as Arianna weakly struggled to be let down.

Gwaine pulled out his sword and swung it around in a couple of practice swings as he impatiently waited for their pursuer Suddenly the man in black came barreling around the corner, huffing out of breath as he spied Gwaine with his sword drawn. The man came to a quick stop and began to pull out his sword, but Gwaine calmly said, "Don't feel like I'm rushing you, I will wait until you get your breath back."

"Thank you," the man in black said as he rested up against one of the large hedge walls of the maze.

"I don't mean to pry," Gwaine said after a few moments of silence, "but you don't happen to have six fingers on your right hand do you?"

"Do you always begin conversations this way?"

"My father was killed by a six-fingered man, and I have been searching for him ever since."

The man in black held up his hand to show he had just five regular fingers on his hand and Gwaine nodded in acceptance before continuing by saying, "My father was a great sword maker and one day a six-fingered man came in and requested a sword. My father worked night and day and he created the best sword that I had ever seen, but when the six-fingered man came to collect he only paid my father one-tenth his promised price. When my father challenged this man, he simply slaughtered my father. Naturally, I challenged this man to a duel; but I was young and inexperienced and he bested me, but I stole the sword my father had made and ran away before he could kill me. For the next twenty years I dedicated my life to the sword and seeking out this man, so that the next time that we meet I will not fail! I will simply walk up to him and say 'Hello, my name is Gwaine Lottson. You killed my father, prepare to die,' and then I will finally avenge my father."

"You spent twenty years seeking revenge on your mind?," the man asked.

"Well, pursuing it more like. There's not a lot of money in revenge. I just work for Edwin to pay the bills," Gwaine honestly replied back as he watched the man in black straighten up and pull out his sword, "Well, are you ready?"

"Whether I am or not you've certainly been more than fair," the man replied.

"You seem like a decent fellow, I will hate to kill you," Gwaine replied with a smirk.

"You seem a decent fellow, I will hate to die," the man replied back.

"Begin," Gwaine simply said as they began to exchange blows with their swords.

Both men smirked knowingly as their fight went on. They knew that they never before and probably never again we they fight a more worthy and challenging opponent. Blow after blow, strike after strike, and neither man had gained an upper hand as they traversed up and down the rows of hedges of the giant maze. Gwaine couldn't help but grin even more and the man asked, "Why are you smiling?"

"Because I know something you don't," Gwaine said knowingly as he continued to block the man's sword.

"Tell me," the man huffed out as he blocked a particularly well placed blow.

"I am not left handed," Gwaine said with a smile as he nimbly switched his sword to his natural hand.

Their fight raged on, but still neither man could gain the advantage, but the man suddenly said, "I also I have something to tell you."

"Tell me," Gwaine huffed out.

"I'm not left-handed either," the man smirked and suddenly switched his sword to his natural hand.

They continued to fight, but Gwaine was growing tired quickly and after a few mistakes he suddenly found himself disarmed and brought to his knees. "Kill me quickly," Gwaine said sadly as he thought that he would never avenge his father. "I would rather destroy a stained glass window, than an artist like yourself," the man replied, "but since I can't have you following me either...," and suddenly the man hit Gwaine on the back of the head, and Gwaine passed out. "Know that I hold you in the highest of respect," the man said to Gwaine's unconscious body before racing on ahead.

"Inconceivable!," Edwin yelled out in frustration from another look out point within the maze as he saw the man in black continued unheeded through the maze. Edwin looked up at Percival and commanded, "Give the princess to me and finish him off! Meet me up after you're done." Percival nodded as he gently let the princess down as Edwin pulled out a dagger to make sure the princess didn't do anything stupid. "Hey Edwin, how do I 'finish him off'?," Percival asked.

"Kill him! I don't care how, just do it your way!," Edwin yelled out in frustration.

"My way? Which way is my way?"

"See that rock over there?," Edwin pointed out to a big rock against a hedge, "When you see the man in black's head come around the corner, hit it with the rock!"

"My way is not very sportsman like," Percival observed quietly as he picked up the rock.

The man in black quickly ran his way through the maze when suddenly a large rock was thrown right in front of his face. "I did that on purpose," Percival said honestly as he faced the man in black, "I didn't have to miss."

"I believe you," the man answered back cautiously as he took in Percival's large muscular form as he grabbed another rock, "so what happens now?"

"We face each other as God intended. Sportsman like. No tricks, no weapons."

"You mean I'll put down my sword and you'll put down your rock and we kill each other like civilized people?"

"I could kill you now," Percival threaten as he lifted up the large rock menacingly

"Frankly," the man in black replied as he cautiously put down his sword, "I believe the odds are slightly in your favor when it comes to hand fighting."

"It's not my fault I'm bigger and stronger," Percival said with a grin as he threw the rock away and got into position to fight the mysterious man that had been following them.

The two men slowly circled around each other, when suddenly Percival lunged for the other man, but the man quickly rolled away. "You're quick," Percival complemented as the other man continued to avoid Percival's jabs. "A good thing to," the man replied as he quickly jumped up onto the man's back and began to choke him out. Percival staggered around, but couldn't shrug the man off and finally the large man ran out of breath and was knocked unconscious The man in black quickly got up and checked the larger man's pulse and said quietly, "Rest well and dream of large women," before getting up again to continue his journey.

The man in black finally made it out of the large maze, but only to find Edwin and the princess sat a low table with a picnic laid out in front of them, with Edwin holding his dagger up to the princess' neck. "Come any closer and I'll kill her," Edwin threaten The man in black held up his hands in surrender and said calmly, "Let me explain..."

"There is nothing to explain," Edwin interrupted, "You're trying to kidnap what I've rightfully stolen."

"Perhaps an arrangement can be reached?," the man in black asked as he slowly moved forward.

"There will be no arrangement and you're killing her!," Edwin threaten as he pressed the dagger up to Arianna's throat, making her hiss in pain.

The man in black suddenly stopped in his tracks and said, "Well, if there can be no arrangement, then we are at an impasse"

"I'm afraid so," Edwin agreed, "I can't compete with you physically and you are no match for my brains."

"You're that smart?," the other man asked unimpressed with Edwin's claim.

"Ever heard of Aristotle? Socrates?"

"Yes."

"Idiots," Edwin said smugly.

"Really? Then I challenge you to a battle of wits."

"For the princess?" Edwin asked and the man nodded his head in agreement. "To the death?," Edwin asked and the other man nodded again. "I accept," Edwin agreed and put away his dagger.

"Good than pour the wine," the man asked as he sat down at the table and reached into his pocket and retrieved a small tube and said, "Smell, but do not touch," as he lifted the tube to Edwin.

"I don't smell anything," Edwin commented.

"What you do not smell is Iocane Powder which is one of the more deadly poisons known to man. It's odorless, tasteless and dissolves completely into liquid," the man in black said as he grabbed the two cups and hid them from Edwin's view and put them back by saying, "Alright, where is the poison? The battle has wits has begun and it ends when you choose and we both drink and we will find out which one was right and which one is dead."

"But it's so simple," Edwin proclaimed smugly, "All I have to do is divine from what I know of you. Are you the kind of man who will pour the poison into his own goblet or into his enemies? Now a clever man would put the poison into his own goblet, because only a great fool would reach for what he has been given. I am not a great fool, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. But, you must have known I was not a great fool, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me."

"You made you're decision then?," the man in black questioned smugly

"Not remotely," Edwin said back with a smug smile, "Because Iocane comes from Australia, and Australia is filled with criminals, and criminals are used to having people not trust them as you are not trusted by me; so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you."

"Surely you have a dazzlingly immense intellect," the man in black replied with a knowing smirk.

"Wait 'til I get going!," Edwin proclaimed losing track of his thoughts, "Where was I?"

"Australia"

"Yes, Australia! And you must have suspected that I might have known about the poison's origins so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me."

"You're just stalling now," the man in black accused.

"You'd like to think that wouldn't you! You've beaten Percival, which means you're exceptionally strong, so you could have put the wine into you're own goblet trusting on your strength to save you, so I can clearly not choose the wine of front of you. But, you've also beaten Gwaine, which means you must have studied, and in studying you must have learned that man is mortal. So you must have put the poison as far away as possible, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me!"

"You're trying to trick me into giving something away. It wont work."

"It has worked! You've given everything away!," Edwin cried out smugly before suddenly pointing to something behind the masked man and said, "What on Earth could that be?"

"What? Where?," the man asked as he looked behind him and Edwin hurriedly switched the wine goblets on the table.

"I didn't see anything," the man replied suspiciously as he turned back around.

"Well, I'm sure I saw something. Never mind Let's just drink. Me from my glass and you from yours," Edwin said chuckling.

"What's so funny?"

"I'll tell you later, but first let's drink," Edwin said as he raised his glass in a mock salute and the two men drank their wine.

"You're wrong," the man in black answered smugly as he set down his wine glass.

Edwin simply started laughing as he said, "That's what's so funny, I switched glasses when you're back was turned! You fool! You fell victim into one of the classic blunders. The most famous of which is never get involved in a land war in Asia! But one slightly less well know is never go against an alchemist when death is on the line!" Edwin continued to laugh, until suddenly he stopped and slumped over in his chair and died.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: I originally had planned for this chapter and the previous one to be one big chapter; but then I noticed how long it was getting, so I decided to break them up. Anywho, as always I don't own anything and please read and review!**

**Ch. 4 - "Life Is Pain"**

"Who are you?," Arianna asked defiantly as the man came closer to her. "I'm no one to be trifled with. That's all you need to know," the man said.

"To think, all that time, it was you're glass that was poisoned," Arianna said quietly as the man in black hoisted her up and began to walk quickly away from the gruesome site.

"They were both poisoned," the man answered honestly, "I've spent the last few years building up an immunity to Iocane." The two of them traveled onward at a brisk pace, occasionally stopping so the princess could rest. On one such occasion, Arianna spoke up and said, "If you release me, whatever you ask for ransom; you'll get it, I promise you!"

The man laughed humorlessly and remarked, "And what is that worth the promise of a woman? You're very funny, Your Highness."

"I was giving you a chance," Arianna proclaimed angrily, "No matter where you take me, there is no greater hunter than Prince Mordred. He can track a falcon on a cloudy day, so he will find you!"

"You think you're dearest love will save you?," the man questioned mockingly.

"I never said he was my dearest love! And yes, he will find me!"

"So, you admit you do not love your fiancee?"

"He knows I don't love him."

"Incapable of love, you mean," the man replied nastily.

"I have loved more deeply than a killer like yourself could ever dream!"

The man raised his hand as if to slap her, but held back and said, "That was a warning you're highness. Where I'm from; there are penalties for when a woman lies."

"I know who you are," Arianna said defiantly after a few tense minutes of silence, "You're cruelty reveals everything! You're the dreaded pirate Emrys, admit it!"

"With pride," the man said with a mocking bow, "What can I do for you?"

"You can die slowly cut into a thousand pieces!"

The man tisked at her and asked, "Hardly complementary, Your Highness. Why release your venom on me?"

"You killed my love!"

"It's possible," the man replied calmly, "I kill a lot of people. Who was this love of yours? Another prince like this one? Ugly, rich, and scabby?"

"No! A farm boy who was poor! Poor and perfect, with eyes like the bluest sea," Arianna answered back softly as she thought of Merlin once again, "On the high seas your ship attacked and you never take prisoners!"

"I can't afford to make exceptions," the masked man shrugged, "I mean, once word has gotten out that a pirate has gone soft, then it's nothing but work, work, work all the time."

"You mock my pain!," Arianna accused angrily.

"Life is pain!," the man replied back harshly, "Anyone who says differently is selling something."

Arianna turned away in defiance as the man came up to her calmly and said, "I remember this farm boy of yours I think. This will be, what, three years ago? Does it bother you to hear?"

"Nothing you can say will upset me," Arianna replied.

"He died well, that should please you. No blubbering or bribe attempts. He simply said 'Please. Please I must live.' It was the 'please' that caught my memory. I asked him what was so important, and he replied, 'True love.' And then he spoke of a girl with surpassing beauty and faithfulness, I only can assume he meant you. You should bless me for destroying him before he found out what you really are!"

"And what am I?!"

"Faithfulness, he talked of madame! You're enduring faithfulness! Now, tell me truthfully; did you get engaged to your prince that same hour or did you wait a whole week out of respect for the dead?!"

"You mocked me once, never do it again! I died that day!," Arianna screamed out in frustration.

Suddenly the thundering sounds of horses galloping could be heard, and the man in black looked out to see the prince and his hunting crew riding towards them on the horizon.

"You can die too for all I care!," Arianna yelled out as she pushed the man over a large hill.

As he tumbled down the rocky slope he yelled out, "As you wish!"

Arianna stood in shock. What has she done? Could it really be her sweet Merlin?


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Sorry I've been away for so long. What can I say? I just haven't been motivated to write lately... Sorry! Please except this chapter as a token of my appreciation for staying with me through all my laziness and what not! Anyway, as always I don't own anything and please read and review!**

**Ch. 5 - "Surprised At Life's Little Quirks"**

Arianna stood in stunned silence as she watched the man tumble down the hill. Surely it couldn't be Merlin! Merlin has been dead for three years! But only Merlin could ever know what "as you wish" really meant to her. Without giving to much thoughts to her actions; Arianna quickly ran down the hill, tripping and tumbling down within seconds of her starting point. She finally came to a halt on the ravine floor and glance wondrously at Merlin who was lying beside her now and gasping out ragged breaths from his fall that had taken his mask away. As he looked over at her, he grinned his trademark carefree grin, and crawled over her to look at her properly. "I don't understand," Arianna gasped as she looked deep into her love's bright blue eyes, "You were dead." "Oh, my love," Merlin whispered lovingly, "I told you before, death cannot stop true love, only delay it for a little while." Arianna couldn't help but grin manically at him and bringing him down in a passionate kiss.

After some wonderful moments of being reunited at last with Merlin, he gently helped her up and as they ran across the ravine floor, they could see Prince Mordred and his companions galloping in the distance. "Ha!," Merlin laughed out, "You're pig fiancee is too late! We are almost to the Fisher King's Realm!" "We'll never survive," Arianna gasped out as Merlin led her towards the entrance of the Fisher King's Realm. "You're only saying that because no one ever has," Merlin retorted with a grin. Merlin led Arianna through the entrance of the Fisher King's Realm, calmly ignoring the screeches of wild animals around him. They went through a stone courtyard and looked around at the vast castle surrounding the area. All the while, Merlin was explaining how he had come to be there. "You see, my love, the story I told you about when I said "please" was true. Emrys gave me a assessing look down before putting his sword away and said, 'Alright, Merlin. I've never had a valet before, but I'm willing to let you try, but I'll most likely kill you in the morning.' For two years he said that to me, 'Good work, Merlin, sleep well, I'll most likely kill you in the morning.' And then it happened...,"

"What?," Arianna questioned curiously, "Go on."

"Well, one day he took me aside and told me the truth. And I found myself often surprised at life's little quirks. 'I am not the dreaded pirate Emrys,' he told me. 'My name is Balinor and I inherited the title from the previous Emrys who was also not the true Emrys, his name was Kilgharrah. The real Emrys has been retired for over fifteen years and has been living like a king on his own island. And now I'm handing the name down to you.' So the next stop that we made we hired on new sailors all the while he was calling me Emrys, and once the sailors bought it he retired and left. But now that we are together, I shall hand the name to someone else," Merlin told her with a grin as he leaned up against a stone bricked wall. Suddenly the wall seemed to turn and Merlin was quickly hidden from view. "Merlin?! Merlin?!," Arianna cried out. "It's alright my love," Merlin yelled back through the wall, "It was only a trapped door. There must be a switch of some kind on that side. See if you can find it." Arianna quickly looked around the hidden doorway, only to find the switch in a small gap in the wall, covered in disgusting looking bugs. She tried to calm herself, and quickly placed her hand in and pulled the switch, allowing Merlin to finally come back into view.

"Well, that was an adventure," Merlin grinned at Arianna as he gently grasped her hand and lead her onwards through the stone castle. They continued walking in relative comfortable silence, when suddenly Arianna spotted something shining in a empty room. "Oh, what's that?," she wondered and left Merlin's side and crossed into the room. As soon as she had picked up the shining bracelet and put it on, admiringly, the door had slammed and locked her inside. Merlin cried out in alarm as he tried to burst down the door, all the while, Arianna had soon passed out due to the bracelet sucking the life force out of her. Suddenly, Merlin busted through the door and carefully lifted up Arianna's limp form and carried her out before wrenching the offending bracelet off and throwing it as far away as he could. Arianna suddenly awoke with a gasp and held onto Merlin as she tried to calm her shaking body. "It's no use. We may as well die here," she sobbed out. "No, no," Merlin soothed out as he gently caressed her face, "we have already succeeded. I mean, what are the Three Terrors of the Fisher King's Realm? One; trapped doors and room, no problem. Two; enchanted jewelry, which you were fortunate enough to let us know what those looked like, so that we can avoid those in the future."

"But, Merlin," Arianna pleaded, "What about the wyvens?"

"I don't believe they exist," Merlin replied cockily before suddenly being attacked by a flying, black dragon-like lizard.

Merlin and the wyven were suddenly knocked to the floor due to the wyven's attack and Merlin had lost his sword. The wyven clawed out and bit at Merlin, making him scream in agony. "Merlin!," Arianna screamed out in horror as she desperately threw his sword back to him. Merlin caught it and hurriedly slashed out at the creature. Eventually, the creature was finally killed and Arianna hurried to Merlin's side as she examined the wound on his shoulder where the creature had bit him. "I will be fine, my love," Merlin assured her, "Come, my ship is anchored just on the other side of the Realm, and we are almost there."

They slowly made there way out of the Fisher King's Realm and stopped to breath a sigh of relief, but suddenly they were approached by Prince Mordred and suddenly surrounded by archers. "Surrender!," the prince called out.

"You mean you wish to surrender to me?," Merlin asked cockily, "Very well, I accept."

"I give you full marks for bravery," the young prince replied, "Don't make yourself a fool."

"Ah, but how will you capture us? We know the secrets of the Fisher King's Realm, we can live there a long time, quite happily. So whenever you feel like dying, please come and visit," Merlin replied with his sword drawn out.

"I tell you once again; surrender."

"Will not happen."

"For the last time; surrender!," the prince yelled out as he drew his sword.

"Death first!"

"Will you promise not to hurt him?!," Arianna suddenly called out, scared for her love.

"What was that?," Merlin and the prince asked in unison.

"If I come with you, will you promise not to hurt this man?," Arianna asked the prince.

"I give you my word, I shall not lay a finger on him," the prince vowed.

"He is a sailor on the ship _The Great Dragon_. Promise me that you will see to it that he is safely escorted to his ship."

"I swear it will be done," he said as he gestured to his soldiers to take Arianna away before turning to his companion and whispered, "Once we are out of sight and back in Camelot, throw him into the Dark Tower."

"I swear it will be done," his companion remarked with a grin.

Meanwhile, Merlin was looking at Arianna in despair as she was slowly being forced away from him once again. "I thought you were dead once and it nearly destroyed me," Arianna gently told him, "I could not bear it if you died again, not while I could do something about it." She was suddenly lifted up onto the prince's horse and she suddenly was ridden away from him.

Merlin looked out longingly as long as he could before suddenly being interrupted by the prince's companion. "Come sir," he mockingly called out, "we must get you to your ship."

"We are men of action," Merlin said calmly, "Lies do not become us."

"Well spoken sir," he remarked before gesturing to the troops to tie up Merlin. As his hands were being bond, Merlin happened to look at the man's right hand to notice that he had six fingers. "What is it," the man asked as he saw Merlin looking at him quizzically "You have six fingers on your right hand," he remarked, "Someone was looking for you." Suddenly the man pulled out his sword and hit Merlin on the head with the hilt, knocking him unconscious.


	6. Chapter 6

**Why oh why will this winter never end?! It's like the weather will be like "ya, spring is almost here", and then BAM! Another nasty winter storm hits! Oh well, all this weather has made me have more time to write! Quick note, this chapter may include some triggers, so warning! Also, I don't think I mentioned it before, but I don't have a beta, so please blame any and all inaccuracies on me. As always, I don't own anything and please read and review!**

**Ch. 6 - "If You Haven't Got Your Health, You Haven't Got Anything"**

Merlin awoke in a dark, dank room strapped down on a table as a short man with short, curly brown hair come waltzing in carrying a tray of food and supplies. "Good morning Sir," the strange man replied, "and welcome to The Dark Tower! My name is Trickler and I will be your guard! So don't even think about trying to escape! The chains are far too thick and no hope of rescue either! The only way into this prison is secret; only the Count, the Prince, and I know how to get in and out. " The strange man carefully put down his tray and began administering some medicine on the large wound on Merlin's shoulder. "Then I'm here 'til I die?," Merlin asked as he warily watched his guard. "'Til they kill you, ya," Trickler replied as he continued working to heal Merlin's shoulder. "Then why bother curing me?," Merlin asked suspiciously. The man sighed and replied, "The Prince and the Count always insist on everyone being healthy before they are broken."

"So it is to be torture," Merlin realized with a sense of calm determination as he took in his new situation, "I can cope with torture."

The man just laughed as he shook his head in refusal.

"You don't believe me?," Merlin asked.

The man shrugged and replied, "You survived the Fisher King's Realm, which means you're incredibly brave, but nobody withstands the Machine!"

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The king died that very night and before the following dawn Arianna and Mordred were married. As the morning sun made its appearance the newly crowned King Mordred announced to his subjects that Arianna had become their queen. As Arianna made her way through the crowd in the courtyard, an old crone stood up from the bowing crowd and started booing her. "Why do you do this?," Arianna asked the old crone. "Because you had love on your hands and yet you married another!," She screeched before addressing the crowd, "True love saved her in the Fisher King's Realm and she treated it like garbage! And that's what she is; the Queen of Refuse! So bow to her, bow to the Queen of Slime! The Queen of Garbage! Boo! Muck, Filth, Slime! Boo!"

Arianna suddenly awoke from her nightmare, immediately thankful that the king hadn't died and she wasn't married to the Prince. She hurriedly wrapped a dressing robe around her and stormed into Mordred's study. "It comes down to this," she said suddenly as soon as she entered the room, "I love Merlin; I always have and always will. If you tell me that I must marry you, then please believe me that I will be dead by morning!" The prince reeled back in alarm and then calmly said, "I could never cause you grief. Consider our wedding off. Though, are you certain he still wants you? It was you who did the leaving in the Fisher King's Realm."

"My Merlin will always come for me," Arianna replied without doubt.

"Well, why don't we make a deal," Mordred replied, "You write four copies of a letter and I'll send out my four fastest ships; one in each direction. We will send out the white flag and deliver your letter. If Merlin wants you; bless you both. But if doesn't, please consider me as an alternate to suicide." They agreed and Mordred let her leave before meeting up with the Count.

"Your princess is really a winning creature," the Count said as they made their way to the Dark Tower, "A trifle simple perhaps, but her appeal is undeniable."

"I know," Mordred agreed cockily, "The people are quite taken with her. It's odd; but when I hired Edwin to have her murdered on our engagement day, I thought that was clever, but it will so much more moving when I strangle her on our wedding night. Once Saxony is blamed, the nation will be truly outraged! They demand that we go to war!"

The Count laughed and began making his way to the secret entrance to the Dark Tower, "Are you coming? Merlin's got his strength back and I'm starting him on the machine tonight."

"Cenred," Mordred replied with a tired sigh, "You know how I love watching you work, but I've got my country's 500th year anniversary to plan, my wedding to arrange, my wife to murder, and Saxony to blame for it. I'm swamped!"

"Get some rest," Count Cenred replied, "if you haven't got your health, you haven't got anything," he smiled dangerously before continuing into the Dark Tower.

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The six-fingered man smiled dangerously as he strode up to where Merlin was being attached to a large machine. "Impressive, isn't it," the count said mockingly as Trickler continued to attach Merlin to the machine with suction cups, "It took me half a lifetime to invent. As you no doubt are aware, I have a deep fascination with pain; in fact I'm considering writing a book on the subject. So, please do be honest with me on how the Machine makes you feel. This being our first try; I'll use the lowest setting." He carefully raised a lever to the lowest setting on the dial and watched in morbid fascination as Merlin's once calm demeanor suddenly cracked as he began to twitch in pain. After what felt like hours, but was only mere seconds, the Count finally turned off the Machine. "As you know," he said mockingly as he turned back to his table and picked up his writings, "The idea of suction is centuries old; and really that's all this is. Except instead of water, I'm sucking life away. I just sucked one year of your life away. Tell me, how do you feel? And please remember that this is for posterity, so be honest." Merlin couldn't help the sob that broke out of his mouth as the Count smiled viciously as he began to make notes of Merlin's pain, all the while Merlin sobbed in agony.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Yet another chapter yay! This chapter may contain some triggers, so warning! As always I don't own anything and please read and review!**

**Ch. 7 - "The Sound of Ultimate Suffering"**

Prince Mordred was busy looking over all of his many papers when his Chief Enforcer, George Servant came in. "Sire, you called for me?," he asked tentatively "Yes," the young prince said as he called him further into his study, "As Chief Enforcer of Camelot, I entrust you with this secret. Killers from Saxony have infiltrated the Thieves' Forest and plan to murder my bride on our wedding knight."

"My Spy Network has herd no such news, My Lord," George remarked.

"She will not be murdered! On the day of the wedding, I want the Thieves' Forest empty and every inhabitant arrested!," Mordred shouted in aggravation on having being questioned.

"Many of the inhabitants will resist," George replied with a sigh, "My regular enforcers will be inadequate"

"Form a brute squad, then!," Mordred replied hastily, "I want the Thieves' Forest emptied before I wed!"

"It will not be easy, My Lord."

"Try ruling the world sometime."

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The day of the wedding arrived and the Brute Squad were busy carrying out Mordred's orders. The Thieves' Forest was almost empty except for one drunken swordsman who wouldn't leave the tavern he was staying in. "I will not be moved," Gwaine slurred out, "This is where I will stay! I am waiting for Edwin! He always said that if the job goes bad, to go back to the beginning; well this is the beginning and I will stay until Edwin comes!" Suddenly a pair of large hands picked up Gwaine by his tunic and held him up straight. Gwaine slowly looked up to see his long lost pal, Percival. "It's you," he said in a drunken state of awe. "Hello, there," Percival said with a smile before leading him away and taking him somewhere safe where he could nurse Gwaine back to sobriety

As soon as Gwaine sobered up, Percival told Gwaine of Edwin's death and of Count Cenred; the six fingered man. "Where is this Cenred, so that I may kill him?!," Gwaine demanded. "He's with the Prince and the castle gate is guarded by thirty men," Percival told his friend. Gwaine sighed in frustration before asking his friend, "How many could you handle?"

"No more than ten."

"Leaving twenty for me," Gwaine sighed, "Even at my best, I could never defeat so many. I need Edwin to plan. I have no gift for strategy"

"But Edwin is dead."

"No not Edwin, I need the man in black," Gwaine said as he suddenly had an epiphany

"What?!"

"Look; he bested me in sword, he bested you in strength, and he must have bested Edwin in brains. And a man who can do that can plan my castle onslaught any day!"

"But we don't know where he is," Percival said, trying to get his friend to see some sense.

"Don't bother me with trifles! After over twenty years my father will finally be avenged! There will be blood tonight!," he cried out as he grabbed Percival and left to find the man in black.

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George came into the Prince's study once again and waited for the Prince to allow him entrance. "Report," Mordred said without looking up from his papers. "The Thieves' Forest is empty and thirty men guard the gate," George reported. "Double it!," Mordred commanded, "My Princess must be safe!" "The gate has but one key," George stated as he showed the prince his prized bronze key, "And I carry that." Before Mordred could reply, Arianna came in and Mordred came up to her as he said, "Ah! My dulcet darling! Tonight we wed and tomorrow George will escort us to the Chanel where every ship in our armada will accompany us on our honeymoon!"

"Every ship but your four fastest, you mean," Arianna corrected.

"Yes," Mordred stuttered out as his face fell, "Naturally not those four."

George made a hasty retreat before Arianna replied, "You never sent the ships, don't bother lieing. No matter, my Merlin will come for me anyway!"

"Your a silly girl," Mordred replied condescendingly

"Yes I am a silly girl, for not seeing sooner that you are nothing but a coward with a heart full of fear."

Mordred looked up at her as rage burned in his eyes, "I would not say such things if I were you," he threatened.

"Why not? You can't hurt me. Merlin and I are joined by the bonds of love; and you cannot track that not with a thousand bloodhounds, and you cannot break it even with a thousand swords! And when I say that you are a coward, it is only because you are the slimiest weakling to ever crawl the Earth!"

"I would not say such things if I were you!," Mordred threatened again as he forcefully took her and dragged her back into her room and locked the door.

Mordred was in pure fury as he strode his way to the Dark Tower and into the chamber where Merlin was still attached to the Machine. Mordred leaned down and whispered, "You truly love each other and so you might have been truly happy. Not one couple in a century has that chance no matter what the storybooks say, and so I think that no man in a century will suffer as greatly as you will!" He hurriedly ran over to the lever and pulled it all the way up, and watched in pure morbid delight as Merlin screamed out in agony and twitched in pain. The sound of his cries echoed across the kingdom and as Gwaine and Percival were trying to find any information on the man in black, they heard his cries. "Do you hear that?," Gwaine asked, "That is the Sound of Ultimate Suffering. My heart made that noise when my father died and so the man in black makes it now." "How do you know it's the man in black?," his friend asked. "His true love is getting married to another tonight, who else has the cause for ultimate suffering?" He grabbed his friend again as they hurriedly made their way to where the sound was coming from.

Gwaine and Percival arrived at a large tower, but the entrance seemed to be secret. Gwaine kneeled down and prayed to his father. "Father, I have failed you for twenty years, now our misery can end. Somewhere close by is a man who can help us and I need you to guide my sword. Please guide my sword." Gwaine closed his eyes as he unsheathed his sword and seemingly was lead by an unseen force straight to a crevice in the tower facade that hid a lever that opened up the entrance. Percival and Gwaine hurried throughout the tower looking into every room for the man in black, until finally they came upon him. Percival looked upon the man's cold body, as he tried to take a pulse before looking up at his friend and said solemnly, "He's dead."


End file.
